Feminism in John Osborne'S Look Back in Anger'

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FEMINISM IN JOHN OSBORNE’S ‘LOOK BACK IN ANGER’
Feminism is a movement aimed at equal rights for women in legal, social, cultural, political and other
systems and in gender norms. Many writers depicted the sufferings of women in their works, winning
the attention of the readers for their emancipation. On the other hand some writers, though they are
speaking for the cause of the oppressed, display the disgusting attitude towards women.
John Osborne, through his play Look Back in Anger, definitely belongs to the latter category of the
writers. Jimmy Porter is the protagonist of the play, who represents the attitude of the writer. He is
dissatisfied with everything around him. He also has great anger towards middle classes and higher
classes.
Look Back in Anger has Jimmy Porter, a post war youth of Europe, as its protagonist. He lives in a one
room- kitchen flat, along with his wife Alison and friend Cliff, owned by landlady Miss Drury. Alison is a
girl from middle classes who has married to Jimmy Porter in a fit of romantic love. Jimmy belongs to the
proletariat class and runs a sweet stall in spite of being a university graduate. He is dissatisfied with
everything around him.
"People like me don't get fat. I've tried to tell you before. We just burn everything up."
Newspapers, magazines, church and every system, political, social, educational, religious or whatsoever,
then existent. He has great anger towards middle classes and higher classes. His dissatisfaction surely
has Marxist leanings but amidst this the women in the play greatly suffer and Osborne has no sympathy
for them nor does he ask for any justice for them. It has been typically depicted that whatever nature
and approach to life the female characters in the play may have; they have all been reduced to same
level of domination by Jimmy Porter and has been pushed down to silence and as the silent sufferers.
"Why, why, why, why do we let these women bleed us to death?"
Alison and Helena are the major women characters in the play. Alison is Jimmy’s wife. She is mostly
silent unless provoked by Jimmy; always leaning on the iron board and the pile of clothes besides her.
There is constant teasing and verbal attack from Jimmy towards her. She is considered by him as a
representative of the class she has come from. Every time he finds new verbal tricks to attack Alison’s
mother and her other relatives to the extent that she finds it unbearable. Referring to Alison’s Mother
and Father he comments:
“Either militant like her Mummy and Daddy. Militant, arrogant and full of malice.”
He even becomes more abusive. He calls Alison ‘Sycophantic, Phlegmatic and Pusillanimous’. It is so easy
for Jimmy to be offensive. He is always vindictive and do not realize the sufferings he inflicts on the
others. He plays a Jazz music on trumpet and bothers Alison. Alison is suppressed and to such an extent
that she could not dare to disclose her pregnancy to him, fearing his reactions. Jimmy is equally bitter
critical to the all women in general.
Jimmy coins the filthy images and uses very abusive language when he mentions Alison’s mother.
Finally, Helena, a friend of Alison, arrives to their home. She is a natural enemy of Jimmy. He is always in
quarrel with her. They go to the extent of physical fight as well. Helena provokes Alison for rebel against
Jimmy; writes to her father who takes her back. But then all of a sudden Helena is taken up by Jimmy
and Alison is replaced by Helena. In the last Act Helena also has been tamed and made to behave as per
the whims of Jimmy and bear him. Towards the end of the play Alison returns, losing her child.
“If you could have a child, and it would die...if only I could watch you face that.”
Helena realizes her sins and misdeeds and decides to leave Jimmy. Alison now recovers the place from
Helena.
In the whole play Osborne’s sympathies are towards Jimmy Porter. In spite of his malice and putting
others into the trouble and tortures he receives no penalty. Rather he goes on enjoying women, one
after the other. He even had an affair with Madeline before his marriage. No justice is done towards
Alison for her innocence. Similarly, no contempt has been shown by the dramatist towards Jimmy for his
misdeeds. If Alison and Helena come from the middle classes even the mother of Jimmy has not been
spared from such unjust attitude.

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FEMINISM IN JOHN OSBORNE’S ‘LOOK BACK IN ANGER’

"Why, why, why, why do we let these women bleed us to death?"

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